QR Code Killer

by Shanna Hatfield

  “The mind of a deranged man isn’t supposed to make sense, is it?”

  “No,” Maddie said with a sigh, running her hand across her eyes. She was so tired of chasing Zeus. So tired of wondering and worrying who would be next. So tired of looking behind her every time she left the house. She just wanted to be free to live again.

  After dinner, the six of them sat around the table, discussing how they would approach work the next day. Erik would go with Maddie to the hotel and Danny would stay close to Lena while Zach and Ethan would work as usual.

  When everyone had gone their separate ways for the evening, Maddie sat in the living room with Erik on the couch. She needed to talk to him, needed to know his thoughts.

  “If you want to leave Erik, I won’t make you stay.” Maddie knew she’d never be the same if he left, but she wouldn’t dwell on that. Not now.

  “I know you wouldn’t, which is why I’m staying. He could kill me any time, any place, Maddie. If I’ve become a hunted man, I’ll stay here, where I can help protect your family. Unless you think it puts you in more danger.”

  Maddie looked into Erik’s golden eyes, unable to comprehend someone so selfless and giving. “You shouldn’t be worried about me, Erik. I’ll be fine. But I’m afraid for you.”

  “I know you are Maddie. I’m afraid for all of us, but letting fear overtake us won’t help anything, will it?”

  “No. I just don’t want anything to happen to you. If it did…” Maddie’s voice broke and a lone tear rolled own her cheek.

  “Aww, Maddie,” Erik said, pulling her into his arms. She found such comfort and warmth there, she didn’t want him to ever let go. Erik pressed a kiss to the top of her head and held her close. “We’ll get through this together and then maybe you and I can focus on something besides Zeus.”

  “Like what?” Maddie asked, her head against Erik’s solid chest.

  “Like us.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Maddie said, raising her lips to Erik’s and giving him a warm kiss. “I’m so sorry to have put you in danger. I wouldn’t have done it for anything in the world, had I known Zeus was watching so closely.”

  “I know you wouldn’t,” Erik said, sitting quietly for a few minutes. “Maddie, you mind playing that video for me again?”

  Maddie pulled her phone from her pocket and she and Erik watched it through three more times. Based on the photos taken at the farm, Maddie thought they could narrow down the locations of where the photos could possibly have been captured. She hoped maybe they could find a tire track, anything, that would lead them closer to Zeus.

  “It’s just a matter of time before he makes a mistake,” Maddie said, thinking about what this latest message from Zeus meant. “He’s feeling threatened by you. He’s running out of patience. He’s getting a little careless. He is going to slip up and when he does, I’ll be there to take him down.”

  “And I’ll be here, right beside you,” Erik said, lowering his head to Maddie’s once more. When their kisses became more urgent and demanding, Erik pulled back and sucked in his breath. “I think I better go on out to the bunkhouse while I can still think straight enough to walk there.”

  Maddie smiled and walked him to the door. “Dream a good dream, Farmer Man.”

  “You can bet I will, Madelyn. I’ll be dreaming of you.”

  Chapter Nine

  Maddie and Erik met with the restaurant manager at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. He pulled the schedule of who worked the night Maddie was there with Erik. Personally working the floor that evening and busy with the crowd, he hadn’t lingered long at any one table.

  Maddie and Erik remembered his friendly, though brief, chat with them that evening.

  Showing him the sketch, Maddie asked if he remembered seeing a man that resembled the one in the drawing. He didn’t.

  Maddie asked if they could look around the restaurant and he escorted them inside. Sitting in the booth where she and Erik ate dinner, Maddie looked around. The way the booths were set up, Zeus had to have been sitting directly across from them to get such a clear photo. The booths were deep enough that if he was sitting one over either direction, he wouldn’t have been able to take such a direct shot.

  “Is there any way to figure out who was sitting at that booth Friday night, between 6:30 and 8?”

  “No, not specifically. I’m sorry.”

  “Well, what if the person sitting there was interested in wine? Do you get a lot of wine sales?”

  The manager chuckled. “This is Walla Walla. It’s all about the wine.”

  “Right,” Maddie said, her mind working over what few details they did know. Looking at Erik, he seemed to be lost in thought.

  “Just for the sake of playing this through,” Erik said, “Let’s say whoever sat at this booth fancied himself as quite a connoisseur of good wine. He’s probably not worried about the cost. What bottle would he order?”

  “We’ve got a few higher end choices,” the restaurant manager said, pulling out a wine list and turning pages. He pointed to a listing for a special reserve wine that was priced at almost $200.

  Maddie looked at the list. “How many bottles of these do you sell in an average evening?”

  “Not many,” the restaurant manager said. “I do remember one of the girls saying an older gentleman ordered a bottle, drank a glass and then left the rest. Most people buying that particular bottle aren’t going to waste it. He was sitting on the opposite side of the restaurant from you, but I don’t remember in exactly which booth.”

  “Do you remember what the gentleman looked like?” Maddie asked, thinking they might finally be on to a lead.

  “He was probably in his late 60s, early 70s, gray hair and tall. I do remember thinking he appeared pretty fit for someone his age. He seemed to prefer to be left alone. I remember the girls commenting on that.”

  “Great. Anything else you remember?” Maddie asked, taking notes. “Anything at all?”

  “He paid in cash. I remember he left the waitress a generous tip.”

  “One last question,” Maddie said. “Do you know if that gentleman is staying here at the hotel?”

  “I don’t believe so, but we can ask at the front desk.” Leading them to the front desk and speaking with the front office manager, it was soon decided that the gentleman in question was not a guest of the hotel.

  “If you remember anything else, or your staff remembers anything, please give me a call,” Maddie said, handing over a card with her cell phone number on it. “Thank you for your cooperation and your time.”

  Erik and Maddie drove out to the airport and checked with security to see if anyone recognized Zeus’ sketch. Maddie asked about an older gentleman, using the description the restaurant manager gave her.

  “Ma’am, you’ve just described quite a few of our passengers. Without a photo or some attribute that would make him stand out from the crowd, we can’t help you out.”

  “I understand,” Maddie said and thanked him for his time.

  “Where to next?” Erik asked as he held the door for Maddie and helped her climb into his pickup. As tiny as she was, he was glad he had installed a step on his pickup for Sheila. She always complained about trying to crawl into his big pickup. Maddie didn’t seem to notice at all.

  “Let’s run by John’s office,” Maddie said as they left the airport.

  Finding John out, Maddie left him a note to give her a call when he had time.

  Leaving the sheriff’s office, Maddie suddenly wondered how Zeus seemed to know her every move. He couldn’t be watching her round the clock and she seriously doubted he had anyone else staking out the farm. The type of guys he usually had surrounding him would not put their feet on anything that wasn’t paved asphalt, no matter how much Zeus was paying.

  “Erik, would you mind stopping at that store, there,” Maddie said, pointing to a grocery store. “I want to run in and grab a few things.”

  “Sure,” Erik said, pulling in and parking. When he st
arted to speak, Maddie held her finger to her lips and motioned him to get out. Hurrying out her side before Erik had a chance to help her down, she grabbed his hand and nearly ran into the grocery store. Dragging Erik down an empty aisle, she stopped midway.

  “I think Zeus may have bugged the house, quite possibly your pickup. Goodness only knows what else.”

  Erik looked at Maddie, surprised and stunned. He had watched quite a few cop shows on TV, but actually living through being hunted by a demented killer was completely different. He felt violated. His sense of self-protection and security deflated as he thought about what all Zeus may have heard or seen.

  “Do you think he’s got cameras up around the farm, or just the bugs?”

  “Not sure. But the more I think about it, the more I think he snuck in and bugged the house. So when we get home, we’re going to have to act like we don’t know that while we find the bugs. Pull your pickup into the shop when we get back and I’ll have Danny go through it to see what he can find.”

  “Won’t we need to figure out what to say, before we say anything? I feel like I shouldn’t talk at all.” Erik hated having his privacy breached. He knew Danny and Maddie were trained to deal with this kind of thing, but he found the idea of someone listening in on every conversation completely unnerving.

  “For now, let’s not tell anyone but Danny and see what we find. We can’t let Zeus know if we do find them. We’ll need to leave them and keep talking normally or he will know we’re on to him.”

  “Okay,” Erik said, running his hand through his hair. “We better make this look like a real trip to pick up a few things, then, in case he is watching us.”

  “True,” Maddie said. “What’s on your shopping list today?”

  “Ice cream,” Erik said, heading to the freezer section. “I think I see a sundae making party in our immediate future.”

  Maddie laughed. “I’ll go get some bananas and meet you at the syrup.”

  “It’s a date,” Erik said, selecting two half-gallons of the frozen confection.

  Paying for their purchases, they got back in the pickup and headed toward home.

  “Won’t Aunt Lena be surprised she’s off the hook for dinner and dessert tonight?” Maddie said.

  “Yes, although I’m not sure I trust your cooking,” Erik teased, trying to remember to sound and act natural. “Lena told me you barely know how to work the toaster.”

  “That is so not true,” Maddie huffed, growing a little indignant. She could fry an egg and boil water for pasta. Erik volunteered to grill steaks and Maddie thought she could manage making a green salad and wrapping potatoes in foil to cook next to the steaks on the barbecue. A loaf of French bread and ice cream sundaes would finish off the meal. “I can work the toaster and the microwave.”

  Erik laughed and squeezed Maddie’s hand. He turned her hand so it rested palm up next to his leg. Then he began writing letters, one at a time on her palm with his finger. Paying close attention, Maddie got the message he was sending - “I like you.”

  Smiling at him with surging warmth in her eyes, she didn’t speak, just nodded her head.

  Erik was about to say something when he noticed a big, black SUV bearing down on them. As it neared, he could see it didn’t have any plates. That was odd.

  Out on a stretch of country road without another car in sight, Erik began to grow concerned.

  “Looks like we may have company,” Erik said, glancing warily in the rearview mirror.

  “Mind slowing down?” Maddie asked, not wanting to turn around, but trying to see the vehicle in the side mirror. “Maybe they’ll go around us.”

  Erik slowed and the SUV stayed right on his bumper. Maddie took a deep breath.

  “Some people should have their license revoked,” Maddie commented, fairly certain Zeus was listening to the conversation. “This idiot should really not be allowed to drive, let alone maneuver such a big rig. What’s that tiny little electric car you see on all the commercials?”

  “Oh, the Smart car or the Mini?”

  “One of those. That’s what this ninny should drive,” Maddie said. “I honestly think they should give an IQ test right along with the driving test. Based on a person’s IQ level, that is what type of vehicle they should be allowed to drive. Seriously, some people are beyond pathetic.”

  If the SUV got any closer to them, Erik knew their bumpers would connect and he really didn’t want to wreck his pickup.

  Glancing at Maddie she mouthed “floor it,” which Erik did. It caught the SUV driver by surprise and they pulled ahead as they whipped through a few curves in the road. The driver was starting to gain on them again when Maddie pointed to a side road.

  Waiting until the last second, Erik slammed on his brakes and took the turn onto the side road at a speed that sent gravel splaying out behind them. The pickup fishtailed, but Erik kept it moving forward. The SUV driver was going too fast to make the turn. Erik revved up the engine and they sped away.

  Maddie pointed their way home through a series of winding side roads. At one point, Erik was pretty sure they were bouncing across someone’s private property, but he followed her leading. They came out on the irrigation road that ran on the backside of the Weber farm. From here, they had a great view of the wind turbines.

  Erik left Maddie and the groceries at the house then drove his pickup to the shop where Zach and Danny were servicing a tractor.

  “Any luck?” Zach asked as Erik got out of the pickup.

  “No. We just hit a bunch of dead ends,” Erik said, picking up a notepad and furiously scribbling a message across it. He handed it to Danny while Zach read over his shoulder.

  Maddie thinks the house and my truck are bugged. Danny - she said you could check the truck, she is checking the house. An unmarked SUV just tried to run us off the road.

  Danny nodded his head and picked back up on their conversation. “Well, that’s too bad. Zach mentioned you are having some trouble with your truck. Want me to take a look at it?”

  “That would be great,” Erik said, popping the hood. “You guys are much better at this mechanical stuff than I am.”

  “That’s because you’re the champion farmer,” Zach said, slapping Erik on the back. “Say, what kind of spray do you think we should use on…” Zach and Erik launched into a discussion on weed killer, fertilizer and irrigation methods while Danny methodically searched through Erik’s pickup for the bug. He found it placed beneath the glove box. It was so tiny no one would ever have found it unless they knew what they were looking for. Rather than remove it, Danny left it in place. He motioned for Zach and Erik to follow him over to the tractor they had been working on. Picking up a hammer, he banged it against a piece of iron, creating enough noise he could whisper what he found.

  “Let’s leave it in place for now,” Danny said. “We might be able to use it to our advantage.”

  “Okay,” Erik said, not liking the idea of having Zeus listening to every move he made or word he said in his pickup. “I’m going to get back to work. I’ll be in for lunch,” Erik said, leaving his pickup at the shop and walking down to the equipment shed.

  Danny waited a few minutes then made some excuse about dying of thirst and headed up to the house.

  Stepping into the kitchen, he greeted Lena and begged for a glass of iced tea. When she handed it to him, he quietly asked her where Maddie was and she pointed toward the living room.

  Danny walked into the room and gave Maddie an imploring look. She held up two fingers and nodded her head, indicating she had already found two bugs. Danny helped her look in the living room and the office, but they didn’t find anything. Taking Danny’s hand, Maddie tugged him down to the basement where she was pretty certain they could talk freely. If you didn’t know the basement was there, you’d be hard pressed to find it. Danny didn’t know there was one and he’d been through the house numerous times.

  “I found a bug in Erik’s truck, just like you thought.” Danny sat down on an old, worn
chair. A cloud of dust puffed out around him. Coughing he shot Maddie an annoyed look. “You could have warned me.”

  “I could have,” Maddie said with a grin. “I found a bug in the kitchen near the sink and another by the table. He seems to know that is where we spend the most time talking.

  “The rest of the downstairs seems clean. Are you going to check upstairs?”

  “I am, but I think we should leave the bugs in place for now. It gives us a little advantage that I don’t want to lose. We may figure out a way to lure him out of hiding using them as a feed for false information.”

  “That’s what I was thinking. I told Erik I’m leaving the one in his truck.”

  “I bet he was thrilled with that,” Maddie said, leaning against a rickety table.

  “Not so much,” Danny said, remembering the look of disgust on Erik’s face. “He’s a pretty private guy. It’s going to be hard on him.”

  “Being in the crosshairs of a madman is hard on him, too,” Maddie said. “But he’s tough, smart and willing to ride this out with us.”

  Danny stood up and took Maddie’s hand in his, giving it a squeeze. “Just for the record, I’m glad you found him, Maddie. Erik is one of the good guys and it’s more than obvious he cares about you.”

  Maddie gave Danny a hug. “Thanks, Danny. That means a lot to me, especially coming from you.”

  Stepping back, Danny was quiet for a moment. “What did you find out today? Erik said you encountered more dead ends.”

  “Not exactly. Zeus was in the restaurant in disguise as an old distinguished gentleman. He isn’t staying at the hotel and he paid in cash so that was a dead end. We went to the airport and they haven’t seen anyone who looks like Zeus coming through. I asked about an older gentleman, but they said without a photo they couldn’t be much help. I have a feeling Zeus has multiple disguises, so they aren’t going to recognize him.”